Middle School Parenting, Teaching with Movies, Silver Lining

Middle School Parenting Guest: Suniya Luthar, PhD, Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, Professor Emerita at Columbia University’s Teachers College You’d think toddlers or infants would be the toughest to parent. They cry, they scream, and the little ones won’t let you sleep through the night. However, recent research shows it’s middle schoolers, with their dismissive attitudes and rebellious tendencies, who wreak the most havoc on a parent’s wellbeing. We all remember how lonely and awkward those years were for us. But was it even worse for our moms? Teaching with Movies Guests: Joanne Ashe, Founder and Executive Director of Journeys in Film; Eileen Mattingly, Education Director of Journeys in Film With smart phones, tablets and computers nearly ubiquitous now, kids are spending more time with a screen than ever – watching videos, playing games, or messaging.  It’s a source of concern for parents.  Rather than trying to get kids off the screen, though, the educational group Journeys in Film wants to capitalize on kids’ visual literacy by bringing more films into the classroom. Check out the project here. The Silver Lining Guest: Tamara Sims, PhD, Research Analyst at the Stanford Center on Longevity Cheer up! Smile! Look on the bright side! Put on your happy face! We put a lot of emphasis on the importance of happiness – maintaining a positive outlook, savoring the good times. Research shows that Americans are pretty good at finding the silver lining. Condors in Zion National Park Guest: Chris Parish, Peregrine Fund Condor Program Director The California Condor is dangerously close to completely disappearing from the planet. It’s the largest land bird in North America, with a wingspan nearly ten feet across. And thirty years ago, poaching, lead poisoning and habitat destruction made it extinct in the wild. Since then, biologists have worked to raise California condors in captivity and a few have been released into the wild, with mixed success. One pair settled in Zion National Park. S